Artistic Vision
New-generation photographer — Emily Abay — is breaking ground taking the curated mastery of fashion photography cultivating today’s new category of fine art.
Shots by Emily Abay | The Icon Collection, “Take A Bite”
Chances are you have already clocked what this visual artist does, whether it is one of her many campaigns for Monday Swimwear or her ICON stills gracing the walls of cutting edge interiors. No newbie to the world of visual art, Abay has photography in her blood. “[My] mum is a photographer, so I was lucky enough to have an amazing amount of resources at my fingertips. I picked up the camera in high school when I took a photography class and just connected with it. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Mum was constantly trying to teach me about photography, but being a bit of a rebellious teenager, I was reluctant to show enjoyment in anything mum told me I might like,” laughed the visionary. True of most creatives the once indecisive Aussie native explored the different genres of direction behind the lens before her love of shooting women landed her the coveted position as a flourishing fashion photographer. “I loved shooting women, but I knew I had to try to marry the commerce into being creative, and fashion advertising was going to be that marriage for me. I do love fashion, I love how it can elevate a person and make them feel great about themselves.”
Talking to us from Palm Springs, California, on location for an advertising campaign, we had to uncover the juicy details of a week in the life of a working creative. As one of the deciding hands in a campaign’s visual impact and legacy, you are constantly being pulled in a million directions. “My week is always different. When I'm not shooting, I'm helping with the production of other shoots, casting models, retouching, designing concepts and art direction for future campaigns and editorials. It’s constant work, and there’s no off switch and you need to take the downtime when you can get it,” shared Abay.
In a line of work such as this, the photographer deems it very important to stay grounded and not treat yourself too seriously. An open book and always unapologetically herself, Abay remains authentic with everyone she meets as well as with her over 80,000 Instagram followers. In today’s society, the rise of social media has been greeted with mixed reviews, but for artistic vision, there has never been a better time for inspiration, growth, and exposure. “Social media is here, you can't control it, all you can do is have control over yourself and the way you want to use it. I think social media is incredible, it has been an amazing platform for me to expose my work to the world and it's all thanks to this that I have been fortunate enough to have been flown to so many different countries for photoshoots. I come across very few people these days with negative aspects towards social media, and to be honest, I choose not to listen to it. It just doesn't work for some people and that's fine, but for myself and others, it’s been great. For me, if it weren’t for Instagram, I don’t think I would have been able to have a successful career for as long as its been thus far,” candidly exposed Abay.
Making a name for herself collaborating with some of the Industry’s top brands, the artist finds herself cultivating her craft in a new genre known as fine art. “Transitioning into the fine art world has been very natural and exciting for me. It’s a whole new world of creativity where I am just shooting entirely for myself. I feel like I am always in commercial advertising mode, looking at products, compositions, locations, etc., just making sure that my clients are happy and briefs are being fulfilled. When I shoot for me, all that goes out the window and I just play… my breath slows down, I see more, I hear more, there's an amazing rush from it because I don't have to worry about anyone liking what I am doing or being satisfied that I’ve filled the brief. It becomes a whole world of ‘hey let's try this’.” Leading Abay to her latest collection, Icons, she drew inspiration from her childhood icon, the legendary Helmut Newton. “Growing up in a creative household, I was exposed to his work constantly and it was quite ingrained in my mind. I guess a lot of my style has developed from subconsciously drawing inspiration from him with the way I see and photograph women. My series of the Icons is a tribute to Helmut Newton, he’s a big part of who I am. I would want to thank him for showing me the right way to show the confident and sexy side of a woman without exposing her or flaunting her. His woman is empowered.”
With years of experience in an industry of fleeting ups and downs, Abay imparts this wisdom: “Be authentic and don’t discount the in-between moments. You need to try to experiment as much as possible and remember that nothing you do is right or wrong, it’s all subjective to the viewer. Don't be afraid of what others will say or think, not everyone is going to like what you do, and that's ok. It's about how you have interpreted an idea and expressed the outcome through painting with light. Also don't ever look back on how you could have done something differently, because your choices bought you here today, this far, and you've learned lessons, and if you love what you do, you'll never stop learning, and that's where all the fun lies in photography, it’s in the journey of your knowledge, so don’t doubt yourself.”
“What I do doesn’t save lives, but it saved me. For those of you who don’t bounce out of bed every day, stop, be more aware, and figure out a plan to make a change. I promise you will not work a day in your life if you love what you do. I have hard days and easy days, just like everyone else, but I wouldn’t swap my job with anybody for all the money in the world. Love the life you live.” Taking her truth and empowering encouragement around the world through her legacy and digital media, we were eager to know what could be in the new year for this fine arts photographer. “[In] 2020 you'll see me overseas a great deal more. I don't have any grand plans yet, but I would love to go live in LA for a while and try to see how my work will be received there.”
The Fishing Wharf